Date: September 4, 2000 (Aether: January 15, 3907)
Place: Throne Room - Atesh-Gah - Haven
Cast: Cassandra, Kedar, Thalia (II)
Scene: The Sibyl of Delphi, Cassandra Adeera, has glimpsed a vision of the future, and she seeks audience with the Queen-Maharani in order to convey that vision.

On the dais, rather than two thrones, there is but a single piece of furniture. Only the throne of Khalid Atar remains, and upon its royal blue cushions sits the Queen-Maharani of the Varati people. Her fair face is unmarked by pain or physical wounds of any sort. She appears as serene as a summer's day, white as the bright sunlight and blue as the sky, even now, in the dark hollow of winter.

The throne room is empty of its normal sycophants and the air is hushed, with anticipation or a sense of deepening terror, yet the Queen reflects none of this, seeming more like the a statue of Tritonia -- if the sari were excused -- than a living person.

The halfbreed is wreathed in silence as she is escorted into the throne room, every so often broken by the slithering hiss of her long Delphic robes grazing against the floor. Cassandra's hands can be found secured to either side of the indigo fabric, a deceptively casual pose were it not for the whitening about her knuckles. Stepping into such grandeur gives her pause, sea-tinted eyes soaking in each of the delectable sights before she can carry herself further again.

Slow steps that connect heel to toe again and again carry her across the seemingly large gulf of room that separates her from the dais, paused within ample distance of the Queen herself.

The child-sized wings at her back give a shuddering twitch as the Sibyl glances absently about, and then fashions a small smile in the direction of Thalia. A sketchy dip vaguely resembling a curtsey is given, murmured words of uncertainty spoken with lashes sweeping over eyes, "Esteemed Maharani, my thanks for you so generously supplying me with a small amount of your valuable time."

Throughout the room, a company of two dozen men in black stand guard. They remain aligned along the walls and in the back of the chamber, behind the dais, blending almost into the background, would their stark dark colors not give away their presence. They all stand straight and unmoving, almost as much of a statue as the Queen they are here to guard, only their eyes wandering back and forth to spot any signs of the unusual or unexpected.

Yet despite the fact that their faces are as stoic as always, and their hands -- either resting on a ready crossbow or the hilt of their falcare -- do not twitch, the air of tension and awareness that rests below their skin can almost be felt.

Two more guards stand upon the dais, only a few feet away from Thalia. Jayhim, the bigger and leaner one, holds a crossbow down, but leaves the arrow readied. Kedar, smaller than all men present, has his hands clutches to his weapon, eyes darting straight at the newcomer, watching her critically, clearly unsure if he should look down upon her or consider her a threat.

Thalia curves her lips upwards in a welcoming smile. "When a Sibyl offers her services, I am more than willing to make the time. You are gifted with a sight that mortal woman can only imagine, and I would be a poor ruler if I were to ignore any messages you might perceive. It is said that the vision of a sibyl can be a message from the Gods. Might it be that you have a message for me from Khalid?"

There is a lightness to her tone that gentles the question, however much a sense of desperation underlies the query. The Queen, locked into power by the God of a people who wish to kill her and trapped within a building that should be her paradise rather than her prison, tries to hide the longing in her voice that stems from the mere possibility that her husband might be trying to speak with her.

Silent, unseen emotions speak louder than what can be seen might supply, lending an abrupt softening to the upturn of the Sibyl's lips. Be it deference or simple timidity, the silver lashes remain angled toward to shadow over the lengths of her expressive gaze.

"I do," Cassandra confirms quietly and firmly, the two words supported with a foreign confidence. The webbed hands gradually relax at her sides, releasing the death grip on the sides of her kaftan. A brief and wary glance lifts her scrutiny towards the Agni-Haidar found within the room, gaze finding some obscure spot on the floor again before she continues.

"Queries were met with only silence for quite some time in my mind's eye, unrelenting darkness of unknowing. I began to think that the questions had no answers. It is... only now that sights have begun to be seen beyond that abyss."

Kedar, as any other soldier present in the room, does not smile or do anything to make the Sybil feel any more welcome. His lips stay drawn into a straight line, brown eyes downright staring at the woman below. In the brief moment when his own gaze meets that of the visitor, a multitude of thoughts and emotion reflects within them, aspects that would never show upon his expression or leave the confines of the light in his eyes.

While the possibility of the elder woman being a threat is soon discarded, the wariness and open curiosity towards the alien appearance of the halfbreed remains. After the incident where an Imam nearly killed the Maharani, no visitor, be it of themselves or from outside, is considered harmless or friendly anymore.

But stronger than that emerges a sense of confusion of why the Maharani bothers to speak with such a person, an impure result of two lesser races, and why his God and King would lend her his voice, rather than one of those who have always served and trusted him.

The intensity of Thalia's regard for Cassandra increases, but can only be seen by the slight tilting of the woman's body forward and a whitening of her knuckles are she grips the arms of the throne. "Pray, continue, Sybil. I am interested to hear more," she says in as nonchalant a tone as possible.

A single nod meets Thalia's request, chin tilting up as the shroud of lashes finally lifts from hindrance's way. In such a motion, distraction is once again found in the mercilessly hard stares of the soldiers within. And with distraction comes a faltering hesitation, an eruption of feathers twitching in the tensely-wrought air.

Cassandra purses her lips into a thoughtful frown, and then offers quietly, "I could tell you, Maharani, but any Seer could ask for your audience and then conjure up vivid untruths to sate your curiosity. If you would consent, and if my Sight is willing, I would prefer to show you?" Webbing is drawn taut between her spindly digits as a hand gestures to the space between herself and the Queen. "I cannot control what is seen, instead, the truth and symbols of fact speak for themselves."

After a physical attack with a fireball upon the Queen's life, comes now the threat of driving her mind to insanity with those candala tricks they teach at Delphi? Kedar's biceps strain, his hand drawing his curved blade the fraction of an inch further out. Not a direct threat towards Cassandra, more the warning gesture to let her know that the guards are prepared for anything -- even if they aren't.

Briefly, the gazes of assorted Janizar meet their companions, looking for the answer and the appropriate way to react to the Seer's offer. Right now, they remain attentive to the possible threat they cannot grasp, but don't act.

Thalia appears hit with indecision. Her desire wars with practicality and perhaps a long diatribe given to her by the Commander of her Guards in respect to her safety. She wavers and remains silent for a long moment.

Finally, she looks to the sides of the room, where a few red-robed Atarvani have placed themselves betwixt the Agni-Haidar. None of the Atarvani seem confident that they can protect the Queen-Maharani from Cassandra, should she choose to use her powers maliciously against Thalia. Thus, the Maharani is at an impasse, and she sits for a long while on her throne, silent and pondering.

At last, she says, "You may, but should detriment come to me as a result of this action, I cannot guarantee that you will leave this room alive, Sybil."

Clearly unprepared for this response, the slight curve of Cassandra's narrow shoulders jolt sharply up and then tense into an unyielding line. The lines of her mouth shift, expression for a moment appearing almost wounded. Though when she speaks, her voice is even and cool, "I am uncertain, Honored Maharani, how conjuring a vision into the air for the room to see may cause harm to you, unless you find some content within upsetting. In light of that, I shall preserve my health from your... warning, and refrain from doing so. It is an exhausting process for me, but I thought you might find more consolation in what could be seen."

Her jaw is slightly trembling as finishes, small wings folding around the outside of her arms. That said, in the heat of offense taken, she tensely quiets to instead formulate words for the myriad symbolism seen.

Despite the unsettling effect Thalia's words have upon the Sybil, the soldiers watching the conversation seem to relax almost instantly. Very little is visible upon their postures, and nothing in the lines of their faces, but anybody observant enough could remark how their hands rest a little lighter upon their weapons and how their bodies are not quite as strained to leap or fire at the Seer any instant.

Kedar joins his companions with just a slight nod of acknowledgment, his eyes telling Cassandra that it is better like this. Maybe he's unaware of the way she feels insulted, maybe he just doesn't care, or he finds that any hurt feelings of a woman from Delphi is always better than even the faintest indication of danger to the one he stands to protect.

Thalia tips her head at Cassandra. "I did not realize that those with your gift could conjure visions in the air. It has been my previous experience that visions were shared between minds, requiring a touch between parties." She does not encourage Cassandra to produce the vision after having made what slight amends there appears to be had. "But please, tell me what you have seen."

A slight twitching of Cassandra's head is the bare nod that responds to Thalia's words, typically articulate expression devoid of much emotion now. The rounded edge of her chin tilts up loftily though, cryptic words cool and efficient, "The darkness burns with heat that sears enough to blister, and beyond that, there are columns of fire that hungrily eat of tears. Blackness shifts, and the anger that can be felt grows even hotter and more formidable, consuming the monoliths of fire.

"It devours everything around it, but harms only the malicious, until those whose tears were stolen weep no more, and can find strength in the dark shadow." She pauses to draw a breath, hands curling comfortably around the excess folds of her robe.

The faces of the surrounding Agni-Haidar go blank again. It's unlikely any of them grasp what the Seer tells them. Some of them might see the flames as the return of their God, Atar, coming back to destroy those who have caused them harm, but that's as far as their interpretation goes.

Kedar doesn't even try to understand the vision, his attention focusing back on the gestures and the motions of the halfbreed in front of him. He isn't paid to understand cryptic words and mysterious visions, after all.

Thalia absorbs Cassandra's words, but does not make any sound as she waits for the Sybil to continue. There is merely an attentive, listening air about her as she waits for all that Cassandra can reveal in the poor medium provided by words alone.

"Suddenly, a phoenix emerges from these shadows, aglow with its fiery resplendence to be witnessed by all," Cassandra finally continues after breath is taken and thoughts are gathered. "Those who run towards the fiery bird, a symbol of immortality, find shelter beneath its wings. But those who flee are burned by its wrath, even as it protects those in its mighty shadow. Exultant is the cry that trembles the earth and can be heard through the heavens."

She finishes abruptly on that simple, telling note, finally drawing her eyes up in Thalia's direction. Lapsing into austere silence, the Sibyl's awkward verbal translation is complete.

Whether Thalia's interpretation is the one which Cassandra was attempting to convey is unknown, but the Queen-Maharani looks extremely pleased at the words the Seer has spoken. "Did you," she asks, quietly at the conclusion, "have a sense of when the events of your vision would occur?" Her full, white wings flare, then settle against her back as she leans away from Cassandra, giving the implication that she is basking in the vision's promise.

The question is considered quietly, only the flicker of her lashes or occasional tense shifting of wings lending life to such stillness. Cassandra finally responds, "The phoenix's appearance was abrupt and unpredicted by what was seen, though it occurred after the tear-stealing columns had all been destroyed and the weeping had silenced."

A slight smile is finally remembered, even if it lacks the warmth that had been present upon her arrival. "As miserly as the details are, they are far more generous than any others I had seen before now. I apologize that I am unable to approximate further."

While most of the words and metaphors of the Seer fly past the guards, they are too well aware of this particular image to remain ignorant. And they are all aware that they will be sheltered, rather than burnt, as the sign of Atar's wings is imprinted upon each one of their backs, a sigil that they will never leave his shelter.

A faint 'I always knew it' smile settles upon Kedar's lips as he hears how Cassandra declares the return of Khalid and his look toward her is a bit more pleasant and friendly, but still ready enough.

Thalia inclines her head. "It is, I understand, a hurdle with your gift that visions and words do not mesh and the visions are often difficult to interpret. However, I am grateful that you have chosen to share your vision with me, Sibyl." She glances around the room at her guards. "With us," she amends.

Eyelids hooding over her gaze completely, Cassandra lowers her head for a low and stiffly formal incline of her head. "I hope that it has provided some assistance. I always consider it a... gift when an elusive truth has suddenly been unearthed."

As she straightens, a considering glance is given to the room at large again, impassively skimming over the stoic faces of the soldiers within. To Thalia, she then comments, "And I realize that I have consumed enough of your precious time, Maharani. Thank you for permitting me to convey that which I have seen. And, of course, should I see anything further and you wish to know of it, I will convey it to you. Verbally." Subtle humor laces the last of her words, giving a brief quirk to her thin mouth.

Thalia smiles back at Cassandra to show her appreciation of the humor as well as to indicate that her earlier warning was given with good intent rather than rancor or malice. However, she does not give voice to her interpretation of Cassandra's vision, perhaps not wishing to hex the prophecy before it occurs. "Thank you, Sibyl. Delphi is lucky to have one such as you among its members."

That last statement seems to give the halfbreed startled pause, the corners of her eyes wrinkling with some notion that remains unspoken and unexpressed. Cassandra is quick to recover, faint smile assuming its rightful place, as her head bows for a final time. "Thank you, Maharani," is all that she can say to those words, slightly strained yet ever remaining polite.

She draws in a shuddering breath, and the upturn at the edges of her mouth manages to rise even higher. "If I may depart now, I shall leave you to your most important affairs." And with that, she waits patiently while consuming time in the throes of distraction.

Thalia inclines her head in dismissal. "Good day, Sybil. I hope we will speak again in the future, under better circumstances."

The air of the throne rooms seems to rustle with hidden whispers, though none of the Agni-Haidar nor Atarvani have budged in their positions. Yet, the air is no longer hushed and pensive. But, for those who are looking in directions other than the throne, the almost silent padding of naraki and shudra can be seen in the shadows as a few dart away into other parts of Atesh-Gah.

"I hope so as well," Cassandra remarks quietly and sincerely, the doubts of circumstances bringing her to this place or this audience again remaining unspoken. With that, she flashes Thalia a swiftly broader smile and pivots very carefully against her heels. Careful grace can be found in the movements that lead to her departure, conscious care given to each hint of a movement until she is out of sight.

FIN  

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